Is West Germany the same as West Berlin?
West Berlin, the western half of the German city of Berlin (q.v.), which until the reunification of the German state in 1990 was treated as a city and Land (state) of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), though it was not constitutionally part of that nation.
How was West Berlin connected to West Germany?
The divided city of Berlin lay deep in Soviet territory and was connected to West Germany by formally agreed road, rail, waterway and air ‘corridors’. Anxious to oust their former American, British and French allies, the Soviets embarked on a progressive strangulation of the city, beginning in January 1948.
Was Berlin in East or West Germany?
Although Berlin was in East Germany, as the capital it was also shared between Britain, France, America and the Soviet Union. The inner German border was officially closed in 1952 and the city became the main route for disaffected East Germans reaching the West.
Why was West Berlin not part of West Germany?
However, as the relations between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union soured and the Cold War began, the joint administration of Germany and Berlin broke down. In 1952, the East German government began sealing its borders, further isolating West Berlin.
Who was West Germany controlled by?
In 1945, the United States, Great Britain, and France had assumed the occupation of the western portion of Germany (as well as the western half of Berlin, situated in eastern Germany). The Soviet Union occupied eastern Germany, as well as the eastern half of Berlin.
What countries split up Germany after World War II?
A Divided Germany After the Potsdam conference, Germany was divided into four occupied zones: Great Britain in the northwest, France in the southwest, the United States in the south and the Soviet Union in the east.
Who controlled West Germany?
Is West Berlin communist?
The Berlin Wall: Blockade and Crisis The existence of West Berlin, a conspicuously capitalist city deep within communist East Germany, “stuck like a bone in the Soviet throat,” as Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev put it. In 1948, a Soviet blockade of West Berlin aimed to starve the western Allies out of the city.
Who was West Berlin controlled by?
the Western Allies
West Berlin was formally controlled by the Western Allies and entirely surrounded by the Soviet-controlled East Berlin and East Germany. West Berlin had great symbolic significance during the Cold War, as it was widely considered by westerners an “island of freedom” and America’s most loyal counterpart in Europe.
How did West Berliners travel to West Germany?
West Berliners could travel to West Germany and all Western and non-aligned states at all times, except during the Berlin Blockade by the Soviet Union (24 June 1948 to 12 May 1949) when there were restrictions on passenger flight capacity imposed by the airlift.
Who controlled West Berlin?
West Berlin was formally controlled by the Western Allies and was entirely surrounded by the Soviet -controlled East Berlin and East Germany . West Berlin had great symbolic significance during the Cold War , as it was widely considered by westerners as an “island of freedom “.
Was Berlin on East or West Germany?
Berlin is Located in Eastern Germany. Berlin is the capital city and a state of Germany. It is the countries largest city in area and population and the second most populous city in the European Union . Berlin is located in eastern Germany, about 70 kilometres west of the border with Poland.
Was West Berlin part of East Germany?
West Berlin. West Berlin was a political enclave within East Germany that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945.